Apple variety Moscow necklace (columnar apple tree)

Moscow necklace is a variety of columnar apple with fruits of late autumn - winter period of consumption. It is a seedling of the Vazhak apple tree. The author of the variety is the domestic breeder M.V. Kachalkin. The original name of the variety is known - X-2.

Trees are natural semi-dwarfs, close to dwarfs on any rootstock, in the form of a slender column about 2 meters high. The crown is characterized by a fairly strong foliage, compactness and small size. Annual seedlings are about 80 cm high and take root well after planting. The root system of trees is resilient, unpretentious and resistant to various diseases and pests.

The fruits are most often large in size, the mass of one apple can be from 130 to 250 grams. At the initial stage of ripening, the main color of apples is green, there is a slight blush. The cover color in fully ripe fruits appears much more intensely, in the form of a uniform, solid dark red blush. The peel of apples is thin, but rather dense, glossy, with a matte waxy coating. The shape of the fruit is regular spherical.

The pulp is white, dense, juicy, chipping type, fine-grained in structure. In terms of taste, apples of this variety are classified as a dessert type: they are quite sweet, with a slight sourness and a weak aroma (similar to Melboy). The commercial and consumer characteristics of the fruits are high. Since the Moscow Necklace apple tree is ideal for commercial cultivation, the apples are primarily intended for fresh sale. But for preservation and drying purposes, they are also great. Due to the high proportion of pectin in the total chemical composition, delicious jams, jam and jelly are obtained from the fruits.

In terms of ripening of fruits, this apple tree is usually referred to as winter varieties. The period of removable maturity falls on the end of September - beginning of October. The shelf life of apples usually does not exceed 3 months (until January). In a refrigerator, the fruits can sometimes lie until early March, while maintaining freshness.

Indicators of early maturity and productivity are very high. At the time of fruiting, seedlings enter the first year when they are planted in spring on a clonal rootstock, the first harvest can number from 1 to 6 apples. Trees bear fruit steadily, annually. Apple trees bring the maximum full harvest already in 4 - 5 years: one tree gives from 6 to 10 kg of fruits, and from 1 hectare of land it is possible to harvest from 90 to 120 tons of crops. With careful, regular maintenance of the garden and the introduction of organic fertilizers into the soil, yields can be doubled. After 15 years, the productivity of trees is declining. To obtain consistently high yields, it is recommended to renew the garden every 10 years.

The variety is recognized as frost-resistant and is able to withstand temperatures up to minus 42 ° C without freezing. However, with prolonged frosts and the absence of snow, the apical buds of trees may die off, which can provoke the growth of lateral shoots. To maintain the columnar shape of the crown, they must be removed. Trees are highly resistant to scab damage. Resistance to other diseases and pests is at the level of the best standard varieties.

It is also worth noting that this apple tree has a tendency to overload the crop.

The Moscow Necklace variety is ideal for growing in the Moscow region. It is also recommended for the Siberian regions of the country.